The Whole Dynasty Spoils the Tyrant's Beloved Youngest Daughter-Chapter 378: The Stolen Wedding Dress

Emperor Yongning sighed after seeing this and ordered Jun Ning to be taken back to rest, instructing that she should not continue keeping watch here as her health was more important.

However, when Jun Ning woke up, she ignored the maidservants’ advice and her own discomfort, and continued to head towards Cining Palace, intending to kneel before the Empress Dowager’s spirit.

Fearing she might faint again, she asked the Imperial Physician for some ginseng tabs to take with her.

Sucking on these during moments of discomfort would surely prevent her from fainting.

As she walked the path towards Cining Palace, seeing it just ahead, she realized she was almost there. But suddenly, she heard a familiar yet unfriendly voice.

"These past years, except for festive occasions, I rarely entered the palace. Now that the old woman is dead, I can finally come in."

"Come, let’s go check the old woman’s private treasury to see what good things she left behind."

"The old woman loved collecting rare treasures in life; surely there must be many rare treasures awaiting us!"

This voice was Jun Yang’s.

With the Empress Dowager dead, Jun Yang was granted entry into the palace to pay respects, yet her first act wasn’t to kneel before the Empress Dowager at Cining Palace but to meet Yao Yao at Liu Pin’s place. She brought Yao Yao along to the Empress Dowager’s private treasury behind Cining Palace, intending to steal some treasures.

Yao Yao was somewhat worried, "Sister Yang, there must be guards at the Empress Dowager’s private treasury, and it’s surely locked. How can we get in? Should we really do this?"

Jun Yang led Yao Yao forward with indifference written on her face, "...Of course we’re going."

Yao Yao was troubled, "What if we get caught, what then?"

Given the already precarious situation in the palace, committing wrongdoings, especially at this critical time following the Empress Dowager’s death, could be dangerous.

Were she to cause more trouble, it might cost her her life.

Yet Jun Yang continued pulling Yao Yao forward, her face filled only with anticipation and yearning for gold and jewels, without the slightest trace of grief or fear.

She casually waved her hand, saying boldly, "Afraid of what? I’m also the Empress Dowager’s granddaughter. Now that she’s gone, nobody will dare do anything to me."

"But..." Yao Yao was still worried.

The dead Empress Dowager could shield Jun Yang but could not protect her!

Yao Yao had no emotional ties to the Empress Dowager.

"Forget it, I’m not going. Let go of me, I’ll go back to continue kneeling before the Empress Dowager." Yao Yao broke free from Jun Yang’s grip and turned back.

Jun Yang hurriedly spun around and tried to persuade Yao Yao to go with her, but Yao Yao suddenly threatened her using her dowry as leverage.

Upon hearing this, Jun Yang dared not force Yao Yao any further.

With Yao Yao holding her dowry, it was like grasping her lifeline; she couldn’t afford to upset Yao Yao and had to comply with her wishes.

Precisely so.

"Then you should go back, Yao Yao!" Jun Yang’s demeanor shifted, amiably holding Yao Yao’s hand, she said, "I brought you some snacks and small items when I entered the palace, they should have been delivered to your place by the Palace Attendant. Remember to ask Liu Pin for them."

"Got it."

Yao Yao left.

All these years, even while being isolated by everyone, Yao Yao managed to survive well, occasionally having snacks to eat, thanks entirely to Jun Yang’s connections in the palace and the money she won from gambling outside the palace.

Otherwise, Yao Yao might have starved to death in the palace long ago.

Even without Yao Yao’s company, Jun Yang was determined to steal some gold and jewels from the Empress Dowager’s private treasury.

Over the years, trying to please Yao Yao, she gave all the money she won from gambling and her father earned from being a dock laborer to Yao Yao. She herself lived a very hard life, often not having enough to eat, and without theft, she couldn’t survive!

The Empress Dowager’s private treasury was in the rear courtyard of Cining Palace, and Yao Yao found her way there easily. However, she wasn’t aware that Jun Ning was following her.

Jun Ning wanted to see how Jun Yang, despite the stringent guards at Cining Palace, managed to steal gold and jewels.

To her disappointment, Jun Yang entered the Empress Dowager’s private treasury easily; the maidservants and eunuchs standing by seemed blind, ignoring her as she went in.

To her astonishment, Jun Yang pulled out a key from her sleeve and effortlessly unlocked the Empress Dowager’s private treasury.

Jun Ning was shocked.

She couldn’t help but think, can it really be this way?

Jun Yang didn’t seem like it was her first time doing such a thing and appeared to have stolen countless times, knowing the ropes well.

As for the maidservant and servant standing at the door, upon seeing Jun Yang enter the Empress Dowager’s private treasury, they didn’t stop her. It seemed it wasn’t because they didn’t want to stop her or were negligent due to the Empress Dowager’s death but because they were instructed to turn a blind eye.

They were intentionally condoning Jun Yang’s actions.

So, in these past years, during festival seasons, whenever Jun Yang visited the palace to see the Empress Dowager, besides paying her respects, she also came to steal?

And yet the Empress Dowager willingly allowed her to steal, never stopping or exposing her.

This shows that ultimately, the Empress Dowager cared for her granddaughter, Jun Yang.

However, was this act of allowing Jun Yang to steal out of love, or was it harming her?

Due to the Empress Dowager’s continual indulgence, not only didn’t it help Jun Yang substantially but instead encouraged her thieving nature, preventing her from ever walking a straight path.

"Alas..."

Jun Ning sighed deeply.

Watching Jun Yang steal various gold and jewels from the Empress Dowager’s treasury, her wrists adorned with jade bracelets, Jun Ning felt torn, unsure whether to stop her.

After all, this was tacitly allowed by the Empress Dowager during her lifetime.

If she were to stop Jun Yang now, against the Empress Dowager’s unspoken wishes right after her death, it seemed inappropriate.

Forget it, just let her be!

Jun Ning did not stop her and turned away.

What she did not see was Jun Yang not only stole a large amount of gold and jewels but also sneaked to a side hall of Cining Palace and quietly stole the wedding dress that the Empress Dowager spent years embroidering for Jun Ning.

But her actions made too much noise, coupled with the strict guarding of the side hall.

Even though many were paying respects to the Empress Dowager, some maidservants remained vigilant on this side.

Jun Yang chose to act during the maidservants’ shift change but was still discovered stealing the wedding dress by the incoming maidservant.

That wedding dress was specially embroidered by the Empress Dowager for Princess Anle; she spent years on it, even in her last days, sewing till her eyesight nearly failed, only finishing just before she died.

How could such a thing be stolen?

The maidservant tried to stop her but was instantly killed with a stab to the chest by Jun Yang using a hairpin.

To prevent discovery, Jun Yang swiftly dragged the maidservant to the dry well in the backyard and dumped her body in it.